Análisis de la fragmentación de coberturas

According to the research findings, this study shows a significant relation among organisational learning, competitive strategies and performance, with competitive strategy acting as a mediating variable between organisational learning and performance. This research is consistent with previous findings, which reveal that organisational learning is positively related to competitive strategy, and that competitive strategy positively affects firm performance (Allen & Helm, 2006; Demirbag & Tatoglu, 2008; Forester, 2000; Jimenez-Jimenez & Sanz-Valle, 2011; Jonsson & Devonish, 2009). The outcomes of this research have made a number of contributions to the literature that is related to organisational learning, competitive strategy and export performance.

The first contribution of this research is that it presents an overall and comprehensive framework of organisational learning, competitive strategy and performance. Existing researchers have only explored the relations between organisational learning and performance, or between competitive strategy and performance (Hurley & Hult, 1998; Ussahawanitchakit, 2008; Weerawardena, 2003). This research provides a clear pathway of how organisational learning affects competitive strategy and export performance. Therefore, this thesis has made a considerable contribution to the development of organisational learning theory and competitive strategy theory as both theories are now integrated. The second contribution of this study is that this research analyses the differential effects of explorative and exploitative learning, while previous researchers mainly studied overall learning effects. Most of the literature considers learning as an overall effect, rather than as two different learning paths. For example, Darroch and McNaughton (2002) regarded learning as knowledge management, while Bonties et al. (2002) considered organisational learning as information transfer and integration. Thus, the findings of this thesis have offered new insight into the development of organisational learning theory. The functions of organisational learning have been significantly widened. The third contribution of this

study is to translate the two different types of learning into specific competitive advantage, as this will differentiate the implications of exploratory and exploitative market learning in international markets. By identifying the importance of learning contingency, our finding reduces ambiguity as to how learning enhances competitive advantage. Specifically, our research provides empirical evidence on the contingency of learning effects, by providing evidence that organisational learning can allow a firm to achieve a specific competitive advantage (low cost, differentiation and innovation). These findings have advanced the existing development of both the organisational learning and competitive strategy theories (Atuahene-Gima & Murray, 2007; March, 1991).

6.2 Organisational Learning and Performance

Hypotheses 1a and 1b examine the relation between organisational learning and export performance. The result (t values of 0.127 and 0.153, respectively) suggest that there is no relation between organisational learning and performance. This finding is contradictory to those of most other researchers, which imply that organisational learning has a direct impact on performance. Bonties et al. (2002) stated that organisational level learning is more close related to performance than is individual learning. Darroch and McNaughton (2003) suggested that firms with higher levels of knowledge management orientation (information knowledge acquisition and retention) are always able to achieve better performance. A study of Thai accounting firms implies that intra-organisational knowledge sharing is a key source of sustainable competitive advantage and has a direct impact on the effectiveness of firm (Ussahawanitchakit, 2008).

Several reasons might have attributed to the insignificant results between organisational learning and export performance. The first explanation is that explorative learning does not always have a positive effect on performance. Bunderson and Sutcliffe (2003) and Levinthal and March (1993) indicated that organisational performance will be harmed if the firm pursues an extremely high level of explorative learning, because explorative learning is associated with knowledge integration, which pertains to high risk and cost. Excessive explorative learning may generate negative effects such that knowledge and information cannot be effectively

assimilated. For example, it is very difficult for firms to coordinate a large amount of acquired information and ideas. The relation between explorative learning and new product development performance is depicted as being U-shaped, with the effect of learning being positive at a low level of learning, and becoming negative when the level is high (Gupta, Smith, & Shalley, 2006; Li, Chu, & Lin, 2010). Exploitative learning has also been depicted as being U-shaped as well, with performance improved at low levels of learning, and decreased at high levels of learning. Excessive exploitative learning may impede, or hinder, the adoption of new ideas and technology. Active learning may lead the inability to respond to radical changes in the environment and customer requirements (Li, Chu, & Lin, 2010). Therefore, performance may not improve with an increased level of learning.

Another explanation of this might be that export performance is indirectly influenced by organisational learning, and that it enhances performance through its influence on international competitive strategy. The direct influence on export performance may be overtaken by the competitive strategy mediation effects. Kim and Atuahene-Gima (2010) found that cost leadership and differentiation mediate the relation between organisational learning and new product performance. Jimenez-Jimenez and Cegarra-Navarro (2007) found a significant indirect relation between learning orientation and financial performance. Keskin (2006) indicated that learning orientation influences performance by enhancing innovation. Baker and Sinkula (1999) indicated that the linkage between learning and performance is not linear, but instead is a very complex web of relations.